Supplements

[Wwerty]

Hi can anyone give me advice on the best supplements to buy, I’m hypothyroidism and wanting to get my life back as the last 12 weeks has been horrible

[Mary-intussuception]

Hi

It's possible that you are not on your full Levothyroxine dose yet. You could ask to be referred to an Endocrinologist. You could ask your GP to send you for an Ultrasound scan of your Thyroid. It takes a while before we feel well. Levothyroxine has to be started on a low dose , usually 50mcg, then increased gradually, this takes time. You've been unwell gor so long but only recently diagnosed & still in early days of Thyroxine replacement medication. Happens to many. I was left undiagnosed and untreated for years.

But, also, you really need to get some nutrients levels tested before you start supplements and then treat deficiencies. For example, it's highly likely you have insufficiency or deficiency in Vitamin D. Your supplement dose would depend on your result. Severe deficiency requires initial large Loading Dose split over 4 to 6 weeks before the maintenance dose of 800 to 1000 IU D3 is then prescribed.

In cases of insufficiency you would probably be put on 800 IU colecalciferol (D3) daily.

Ask your GP to test:

Vitamin D

B12

Folate and

Ferritin

Also ask for copies of all your blood test results. You could put them on here for advice if you wish (with full details).

Never take Multivitamins, never take Multiminerals.

You could try a Vitamin B Complex but don't start till after you've had blood tests AND results.

Always stop Vitamin B complex tablets at least a week before blood tests especially Thyroid blood tests.

Were you told your diagnosis?

Had a quick glance at your first post which suggests you have:

Hashimoto's Autoimmune Thyroiditis and Hypothyroidism.

[Wwerty in reply to Mary-intussuception]

Sorry for late reply, i was told I had an under active thyroid and that was all, my tsh was nearly 6 and antibodies nearly 200 and that’s how I was diagnosed, second blood test was tsh and that was 3.8, I was started on 25 then 50, since starting levo I get a funny drunk feeling and palpitations, Gp changed me to 50 and 25 alternate days because palpitations, I went back to gp yesterday because I was dizzy all weekend and feeling faint and just crying all the time, she thinks I need to be on hogher dose so has put me on 75mcg which I’m starting today, I’m a bit scared to be honest because the dizziness is horrible, I was diagnosed low vit d in November last year before being diagnosed with hypothyroidism and have been taking a supplement I bought from Holland and barret as advised by go, I understand it’s early days but I’ve been suffering 3 months now and feel very fed up, I have friends who are hypo and they never suffered like this, thank you for you reply x

[Mary-intussuception in reply to Wwerty]

Could you put your Vitamin D result on here.

Always include ranges in brackets and date of tests.

It was your GP's responsibility to treat you for Vitamin D deficiency and to retest you.

Depending on your actual result you may have needed an initial high Loading Dose.

Look up the "NICE guidlines for treatment of Vitamin D deficiency " - this tells doctors what dose to give.

What exactly are you buying from Holland & Barretts and what time do you take them.

What dose are you taking now? You need to be retested by GP now.

You need other vitamins tested as well.

If B12 and B9 (folate) are low you also need a test to eliminate Pernicious Anemia.

What was your T4 result?

You ideally need full Thyroid tests including FreeT3 and FreeT4, which you don't appear to have

You also , ideally, should have had some test to check your Adrenals before stating Levothyroxine.

You can ask your GP for an Ultrasound scan of your Thyroid.

You still have symptoms so can ask to be referred to an Endocrinologist.

ps

Do you take your Levothyroxine on it's own with water only and at lest an hour before food and any other medication?

Do you take your Vitamin D3 (colecalciferol ) at least 4 hours away from your Levothyroxine?

Do you drink plenty of water first thing and hough out the day?

Do you eat well?

Do you take any other meds?

Do you have IBS or any digestive / bowel disorders?

Are you seeing anyone in ENT dept for the ear problem? Are you under a Specialist for the Psoriasis? Are you seeing a Rheumatologist , if so did he/she test for any Antibodies.

Do your friends also have Hashimoto's Autoimmune Thyroiditis?

If you wish, you could go to A&E with fainting & dizziness, but that's a decision only you could make. Or call 111 at the time for advice?

I think I would be asking GP for an urgent referal to ENT. Isn't dizziness associated with a problem with the middle or inner ear? And you do have chronic ear problem?

I would want to be fully investigated and diagnosed.

By the way - why did GP test Vitamin D last November? What were the symptoms? You possibly had deficiency a long time and also Hashimoto's & Hypothyroidism a long time.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

There are no "universal" supplements that are recommended. You should test your nutrient levels, post results on the forum with reference ranges plus units of measurement for Vit D and B12 and we can let you know if you have any low levels or deficiencies and suggest what you need to do to address them individually.

Tests needed are

Vit D

B12

Folate

Ferritin

Don't supplement anything until you know your levels.

[shaws Administrator]

Welcome to our forum and when were you diagosed? with what? (i.e. hypothyroid or hashimoto's. You haven't given us any thyroid background on your Profile, i.e. when diagnosed with what etc and dose and hormone replacement you've been given.

Some hints:-

All blood tests have to be at the very earliest possible, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between your last dose of levo and the test and take it afterwards. This procedure allows the TSH to be at its highest and that seems to be all the doctors take notice of when at times we need a Free T4 and Free T3 tested.

Levothyroxine is usually taken first thing when we get up (some prefer middle of the night when they awake) with one full glass of water and wait an hour before eating as food interferes with the uptake of thyroid hormones.

Levothyroxine (T4) is an inactive hormone and has to convert to the Active thyroid hormone liothyronine (T3). It is T3 which is needed in all our T3 receptor cells and brain and heart contain the most.

Always get a print-out of your blood test results and ensure the ranges are stated. Ranges are necessary for members to comment upon them and labs differ in their ranges throughout the country.

We usually are prescribed 50mcg of levothyroxine and after a blood test (every six weeks) increaes of 25mcg of levo until the TSH is 1 or lower. Many doctors seem to think that once the TSH is somewhere in the range (maybe up to 5) that we're now on a sufficient dose. If symptomatic we need gradual increases of 25mcg until we are symptom-free and that's usually a TSH of 1 or lower with the frees in the upper part of the ranges.

That's the reason why many on this forum 'treat themselves' as we know our body far more than strangers who don't seem to 'see' a person who is relying upon to alleviate clinical symptoms and restore their health.

[LAHs]

Yes, all of the above plus include Selenium (Se). Se is the catalyst for the T4 to T3 conversion. Measure your level first (as you should before you take any supplement). If you are deficient buy a bottle of Se supplements or get it from food, 2 Brazil nuts per day should do it. Remeasure your Se level after about a month, If you are back to a "normal" level, great, keep up the 2 Brazil nuts, if you need to go further then take 3 - but don't exceed 3. I believe in taking metals and pseudo metals via food (with the exception of iron) because it is too easy to overdose with a pill.